TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

School Board OKs Collegiate Academy

ADVERTISEMENT

By ADAM EMERSON

aemerson@tampatrib.com

Published: December 17, 2008

When Hillsborough Community College opened its Ruskin campus next to a public high school, leaders of the college and the county school district had what seemed to be an obvious goal:

Develop a program in which the students at Lennard High School can get a jump on higher education by earning college credit at HCC.

It came to fruition this week when the Hillsborough County School Board signed off on the proposed Lennard Collegiate Academy, which aims to reach down as far as middle school to place students on the track to college.

School officials say students enrolled in the academy can complete up to a year of college credits at HCC and save as much as $4,000 in college tuition and textbooks.

The idea, administrators say, is to get more Lennard High students thinking about higher education. Many qualify for free and reduced-price lunches and come from households where neither parent attended college.

Students bound for the academy would need a 3.0 grade-point average or the recommendation of a guidance counselor.

Reporter Adam Emerson can be reached at (813) 259-8285.

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT